


Live by the Sun

by Etherealpandulce



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: AU, Aang is clueless, Gen, Insecure Sokka (Avatar), Protective Zuko (Avatar), Turtleducks, appa is a good boy, azula is a good guy, everyone is in love with zuko, evil Katara, zuko has a harem
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:21:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25517980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Etherealpandulce/pseuds/Etherealpandulce
Summary: What if the Fire Nation never attacked? What if someone else became powerful in the ATLA universe? What if Zuko and Azula find the Avatar first?
Relationships: Sokka/Yue (Avatar)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	1. Prologue and Ice

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is based on many many ideas posted around tumblr, instagram and such. I thought I should try and flesh out a story everyone seems to wants to hear/read. Unfortunately, I don't have anyone who can edit my work so the perspective changes might be a bit much, I'm working on it. I plan on having it be a multi chapter fic and will be switching form past to present to show the tiny details and major changes that leads to the ATLA AU. Not sure if I will add romance but if you have suggests please add them in the comments!  
> Hope you enjoy this glimpse into my mind.

Prologue:

The door swung open, the light of his torch pouring like a beacon into the empty room. “Aang, I’m not going to let them take you away!” Gyatso's eyes adjusted to the darkness, nobody responded. Panic and dread fill him up like heavy stones settling uncomfortable in his gut. The shutters on the window bang loudly against the wall threatening to shatter with each swing. With a pivot and swish of robes he practically flies to alert the others. Within minutes the air temple is full of a flurry of motion drowned out by the howling winds.  
Nobody is there to see the little boy fall into the ocean. Swallowed by the ruthless waves of an enraged sea.  
A hundred miles away another group of people hide from the storm. In the Southern water tribe families are stuck in their huts trying to keep small fires alive. The stench of sweat from so many humans huddled together is suffocating and sickly sweet. It is a mild distraction from the chaos outside. A small voice echoes “Are the spirits angry with us papa?”  
He hums softly, “They must be because they don’t usually scream so loud, I don’t know why they are angry.” He holds his daughter closer almost as if he’s scared too.  
Grandmother shuffles around, “It is a sign that they are growing restless. What the sign means nobody knows but we need to find out soon.” She stirs the pot of sea prune soup, her brow crinkled in deep thought.  
The stormy weather lasted an entire week. The spirits seemed to be in anguish over something but only a few people knew of the missing boy. After the storms ended a messenger hawk was sent North. A reunion was planned between sister nations. A seed of hope was planted while the rest of the world plunged into darkness.  
It took years but eventually the South and Northern Water Tribes reconciled and became a united nation. A shift in the political climate set the Earth Kingdom on edge and began the hundred year war. The Fire Nation was in civil war with itself over the loss of Avatar Roku and their brutal Firelord Sozin. The air nomads were preoccupied with finding the missing Avatar and didn’t know what was brewing all around them. They were the first target to be extinguished under the waves. A chance to control the next Avatar became a goal for the united water nation and nothing would stop them. 

Ice:

A hundred years passed and my brother Zuko and I discovered the new Avatar, an airbender named Aang, and although his airbending skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone. But I believe Aang can save the world.  
Zuko and I are stuck out in the freezing cold looking for dinner. We got lost in the storm and drifted closer to enemy territory than I would like.  
“Azula stop daydreaming and help me with these nets!” Zuko demands. Huffing I take the nets and help throw them out farther. The nets are heavy, the sun is burning but the winds chill me to my core. After 2 hours we manage to catch some blue crabs and a fish, just enough to keep us going. Zuko and I huddle together for warmth, he gently takes my hands and walks me through the steps of fire breathing. He was always better at this technique than me. Uncle calls it an airbending technique and maybe that’s why I can’t manage to grasp it.  
The sea begins to rise and move unnaturally.  
Zuko's eyes widen as he pulls me down into the boat, hiding me under him. “They’ll find us, we have to hide now!” he whispers harshly. I nudge him off to peep over the side. The fear can’t choke me right now. I need to find us a safe place. We paddle towards some glaciers and narrowly miss the southern patrol.  
“They’re out farther than usual today, I wonder what’s going on” Zuko grips his blades in unease.  
“No idea, I hope Uncle hasn’t done anything silly while we were gone.”My throat clenches as soon as I realize what I just said. Our eyes meet and we calm each other with our unspoken conversation. To our left a huge ship comes by, it's massive wave threatens to push out into the open but Zukko is prepared and thrusts his blades into the glacier next to us. I manage to grab him for support before toppling over. The glacier begins to crack but we don’t notice. “Slave vessel it seems” he confirms. “Water tribe scum” I spit out. The glacier glows blue and that’s when we finally notice it opening. A boy slumps out, I catch him faster than you can say turtleduck.

Aang"

This warm feeling encomapses my body and all I want to do is snuggle Appa a bit longer. Adrenaline hits me and my eyes open to find myself in the lap of a gold eyed prince. The mystery boy is staring at me with his eyebrows crinkled.   
“Hi, Zuko here”. He chuckles softly.  
“Hi I’m Aang sorry about sleeping on you”. I sit up, the blood flushing my face bright red. I notice a second person in the little boat, a girl trying to coax Appa into holding a rope that’s attached to the boat.  
“It’s okay we were worried about you” Zuko tries to soothe me while the mystery girl chimes in “I wasn’t”! She abruptly turns to me glaring effortlessly.   
“What is this and can we eat it” Mystery girl pokes Appa with the paddle.   
“Azula! Stop being so rude. Please excuse my sister, she has no manners” Zuko takes the paddle away while rolling his eyes.  
“That’s my air bison Appa! And no you can’t eat him” I shuffle to the edge to give him some pats.  
The both turn their head in confusion one eyebrow raised in a question.  
“Air Bison have been extinct for a hundred years, where did you find one?” Azula whispers her voice trembles.  
I don’t understand what she’s saying or why she would be afraid of Appa. I glance at Zuko and notice the golden flame pin adorning his hair. Realization hits me, they must be from the fire nation so of course they’ve never seen an Air Bison!   
“He’s been with me since he was a baby don’t worry Appa is a good boy, he wouldn’t hurt you” I smile hopefully reassuringly and snuggle closer to Appa.  
Zuko coughs and breaks the ice. “We should get going, we don’t want to get caught out here, and I have someone you need to meet Aang” He grabs the other paddle and starts steering us into the unknown.  
Appa grabs the rope Azula was offering earlier and swims beside us grunting unhappily.  
“Where are we going?”  
“To meet our Uncle Iroh, he has the best tea” Azula smirks and keeps her eyes on the horizon.


	2. Story Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while sorry inspiration hasn't been my friend lately. I have the plot planned out but putting thoughts to paper is difficult. I hope you enjoy where this is going!

Zuko  
The boy's laughter sounds like twinkling bells. Azula and I share a look “who should tell him?” We both sigh and agree tomorrow we will. We spend dinner together eating the fish we caught. When Aang falls asleep I tiptoe to Uncle's room to have a chat. 

The next day at dawn they all sit for breakfast and Azula pokes Aang until he sleepily tells them his story and reveals he’s the Avatar. Uncle spits out his tea and everyone stares with wide eyes. Azula and Zuko's eyes meet, agreeing their theory was correct.  
Aang fully wakes up and asks why everyone looks so startled. They let him know he’s been gone for 100 years and hope is slim. Azula lets it slip that she's never met an air bender. Aang furrows his brow in confusion but gets distracted by Zuko who pats his head and asks if he wants to hear some stories? Aang nods but Azula thrushs a broom in his hand and proclaims chores first and they can have story time during lunch. Uncle Iroh is composed and excuses himself to write a letter. Zuko runs Aang through his chores while Azula supervises and pets Appa a little more than necessary.  
All 3 fire benders busy themselves trying to process this new information and mildly wondering what they've gotten themselves into. 

Water Tribe

Not so far away a white haired beauty is hidden in a tower of ice watching the world change from above. Taking a stroll through a garden under the moonlight is the only escape. Prince Sokka is summoned to the royal chambers to congratulate his sister's new military victory. He walks with his held high trying to not pay attention to the unease curling in his gut. The celebration is short and stiff. Sokka is being sent South to take care of the small villages left over and keep an eye out for the Avatar. His sister Katara will stay in the North and learn how to be chief. They don’t officially proclaim the new heir but everyone sees this political move for what it is. He knows not to say anything. His face still burns remembering the last time he tried to speak up to his father. 

Sokka knows he will never have a choice in his life, he'll grin and bear it like he's done so far. Banishment to the South is not the worst and finally he can escape the monsters in the ice.

The council looks down on him in disdain. The broken heir is so fragile he can’t even bend. The citizens look at him with pity whispering how beautiful he was before his face was disfigured . His own sister doesn’t bother with him, she has more important things to do than babysit a fragile little boy. 

Sokka has to hold himself from running out of the room once he's dismissed. He walks with his held high and eyes always forward. He finds solace in the spirit garden with the koi as his only companions. Nobody bothers him here and he can finally breathe. The tears trickle down his face as he whispers his wishes to the fish. He would whisper his fears but that would take too long the list is ever growing. The world is as harsh and unforgiving as the landscape where he was born. 

Aang

I can't wrap my head around 100 years, it's unbelievable to me.  
We sit by the campfire that night and Uncle Iroh tells me what I’ve missed since I was lost. He tells me the Water nations joined into one big water tribe. Apparently the south moved back to the north to be unified once again. Few smaller tribes stayed south, mostly military and outliers. They began a war and it's been ongoing for 100 years. The new chief Hakkoda is on a warpath to conquer all of the Earth Kingdom. Omashu and Ba Sing Se still stand. Azula tells me about the Fire Nation. She tells me the fire benders were hunted at the beginning of the war and the Fire Nation is used as labor for the war. It is illegal to fire bend and if you’re caught they snatch you up. She shows me her fire, Zuko looks unimpressed and shows me his tiny flame. Uncle Iroh chuckles and nods yes he can fire bend too. Who else would teach these stubborn brats. Zula makes me promise to keep their secret safe. I agree wholeheartedly. I don't want my new friends to get in trouble. Zuko and Azula mumble something about slaves but get hushed by Iroh.  
“What about the air benders? We’ve never been to war” I ask wondering if I can go back home. Iroh’s smile turns into a frown and he suggests we take a trip to the Southern Air Temple. I can’t contain my excitement at this, I’m finally going back home! I wonder if I can get my old room back. I babble about all my adventures with Monk Gyatso and they listen. Iroh excuses himself again to steer the boat. Zuko and Azula pull me with them to teach me how to catch fish and seaweed for dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aang is going on a field trip while Prince Sokka is preparing for banishment. Let me know who else should join our story?


End file.
